Method of treating cotton.



I NO- 827,293. PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

I G. D. BURTON. I

METHOD OF TREATING COTTON.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV.20,1906.

' v UNITED STATES PATENT orrion. GEORGE D. BURTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IVIETHOD OF TREATING COTTON- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1905. Serial No. 288,171.

Patented July 31, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. BURTON, a

citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Treating Cotton and Cotton Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to methods of treatingcotton) cotton fabrics, and similar materials to cause them to attain an appearance and feeling similar to wool.i

The invention consists providing in a suitable tank, vat, or other receptacle a bath of water to which sufficient sodium carbonate is added, thus forming a solution capable of Eroducing electrolytic gases into which may e immersed a quantity of wool for the purpose of cleansing and degreasi'ng the same and then immersing in said solution a quantity of cotton, cotton fabrics, or similar materials to cause the same to absorb from the solution a certain amount of grease, thereby giving the cotton or other material an appearance and feeling similar to that of wool.

In the operation of the inventiona tank or vat is used similar to that shown in the draw ings forming part of this application, of W on line?) 3 on Fig. 2

ch Figure 1 represents aplanview. Fig. 2represents a longitudinaljsection thereof on line 2 2 on Fig. 1, and-Fig. 3 represents .a section ooking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar characters designate like, arts throughout the several figures of the rawthereto and a faucet, or cook in s.

ln the drawings,-10 represents a tank or vat of any ordinary construction provided .With an inlet-pipe 11 for supfplying water 12 or withdrawin the solution from said tank when desired. A ent aluminium rod 13 crosses the upper end ofthe tank 10, and the ends 14 thereof are supported by the sides of said tank, while the main cross member 15 thereof depends "L into said tank and extends from side to side thereof. This cross member is usually constructed of aluminium or someother similar light conducting metal. Secured to this f 'fcr'oss' member 15 and extending nearly to the bottom of said tank is a thin metallic plate 16,

forming a suitable electrode.

The member 13 is provided with a conducting-wire 17, se-

the opposite end of said tank is a similar electrode. A current of electricity from any suitable source is caused to pass from'one electrode to the other through the bath contained within said tank. This bath consists of water which is kept at a level above the upper ends of the electrodes 16, the supply bein obtainedv through the inlet-pipe 11. To t 's bath is added a sufficient uantity of chemical salts, such as sodium car onate, to produce a suitable working solution. When it is desired to secure a more rapid action the gravity of the bath is increased to about 1.015 or 1.020, more or less, by the addition of a quantity of chlorid of sodium in the proportion of about one part chlorid ofsodiurn to two parts sodium carbonate. The temperature of the solution contained within'the tank is then raised either by steam, gas, electricity, or other suitable means of heating to about 80 Fahrenheit. When a current of electricity is permitted to pass through the solution from one electrode 16 to the other, it causes the production of an electrolytic gas. If wool or woolen fabrics are then immersed in the solution, the creation of gas will act thereon to oipen, expand, and strengthen the fibers of sai wool and cause a most effectual cleansing thereof, giving the material a soft and velvet feeling When the dirt and grease has been thorou hly eliminated from the wool thus immerse it is removed from the bath and the solution drawn off into-a separate vat and allowed to settle to free said bath fromany impurities which may reside therein. The solution after settling may then be pumped back into the first-mentioned tank and supplied with an equal quan tity of raw cotton. This cotton is permitted to remain in the solution in which the wool has been degreased and cleansed for about fifteen or twenty minutes, during which time a current'of electricity is permitted to pass through the solution and the. cotton contained therein. When this has been done, the cotton takes on the appearance of wool, absorbing a certain amount of the wool grease and animal matter and iving to said cotton'an a pearence and feeTin of wool. The cotton t hustreated may be t on mixed with wool and the mixed material carded and" spun into yarns to be used in the manufac- 'ture of stockings, cloths, carpets, &c., or the cotton thus treated may be used separately in the manufacture of such goods. This mixed thread has an increased strength, and two threads of cotton after the treatment by this process, when used in connection with one of Wool, is about equal to two threads of Wool and one of untreated cotton when used for manufacturing purposes, thus causing a great saving in the cost of raw material in the manufacture of a given quantity of goods. It is obvious that in the case. of cotton We have a vegetable fiber. and in wool animal fiber, and by this invention the. vegetable fiber is so converted as to perform the. function of animal fiber to a greater or. less extent. After the goods have passed throu this method of treatment they are perfect y soft and able and at the same time. uninjured by t lae action thereon ofthe solutions in which they have been immersed. The. fibers are strengthened, will last longer, and wear better than the same fibers will do when untreated.

It has been found by experiments that cotton subjected to this treatment has a greater. tensile. strength even when -of less diameter than cotton untreated and that it may be. spun two numbers. finer. than it has heretofore been found feasiblev to spin either cotton or wool. At the same time the creation of electrolytic gas or gases destroys. all. bugs,

germs, microbes, bacteria, &c., which are. i

sometimes found in the wool and cotton and other fabricsbeing treated. A direct current ofelectrici-ty. is usually emplo ed, which may be obtained from any suitab e source varying from seventyefive volts to five, hundred'volts and from fiveamperes. to five. hundred amperes, according 'to the size of the receptacle used and the. tity of material to be treated.

After the cotton has been treated in a schation containing. the wool grease quantities of this material have been taken with an equal amount of: wool andhave been spun into yarn andmanuf-actlired into stockings. Lhis cotton yarn aftertreatment has been spun on wool-spinning machinery, which so. far as, is

- known has not heretofore been accomplished,

and it has been found by experience that where'half' cotton and half wool are. used in this mannerthe yarn is. better, softer, and stronger and will wear longer.-

In Warm climates. and on days when the heat is extreme thetern eratureof-the. solution will be sufficient wit out the necessity of heating by artificial means.

. It is believedthat from the foregoing the operation of the invention will. bethoroughly understood without an. further description.

Having thus descri; ed my invention, I claim- 1. The process of treating cotton and, other similar materials, which consists in immersing said materialin a bath in which Wool has imi ar materiala w ch c ns st been degreased and cleansed, adding to said bath a quantity of sodium carbonate, heating the. solution, and then passin through said bath a current of electricity w 'le said material immersed therein.

' 2. The process of treating cotton and other similar materials, which consists in immersing said material in a bath in which wool has been degreased and cleansed, adding to said bath a solution about one part chlorid of sodium to about two. Parts soda carbonate, heating thesolntion, and en passing through said. bath a current of electricity wh le sa1d material. is immersed t erein.

3.; The process of reating cotton and other similar mat rials, ons s 1n mmerr mg said material. in a, been decreased and cleansed, ad to said had; a quantity o sodr m carbonate, and then passing through said bath a current of electricity While. said. material is mmersed therein.

4. The pr c s f treating Qqtton a d ot sim lar materials, which consists n i m nse s mater fln a bath 5! b fih W S been degreasedcleansed, adding to. said bath a sol tion abou one part amend; o sou to ut tworarts so a arb a a h n pa in throush ai Mb. 8-. urr n o electricity While said material is immersed. the ein.

5., Theproce s t treatmg cotton ma similar mat ials, w ich corse s. e nma ing w ol, in a b .th c nt ininga quanti y of sodium carbonate, heatma hs 91 1 1 91. rea e th ou said ath urrent Qt s t i while. said'wool s unmer sd ther in, girawmg said solution into. a va and permitting t settle, returning said solution 1nto the. origi- 1 va mmers ng ther in. an. equal. amou or cotton, heatin the. solutro aed pa s rg through said a a urrent f el c icity while sa dcotton is immersed therem.-.

6. The process of treating cotton other n mels'f was of said bath 'wool isiming Wool in a. bath cont in n sodium carbonate, passing t (all? nt h r in, drea s sa d s mm mm. a

vat and permit ng tq e i le'. etnrmngsaid solution into. the rig a st,. mmsrs ns therein in equal; mount of. 00mm. and. 19

nghro gh. said bath. a curr t of electr qity w ile sai cot on 18 mmer ed thene r.

7 The processf t eat rg iaw Qttonwh ph consists. in immersing, it in, a bath containing animal gr as o W 0 and add s ih a quantity f odium car o e and then passing thr g aid at a curr n of; ele

r ty while sai ot on s mme se hs I m.-.

8.- Theprocess of reatipgr w QlefiQnWhich consists in lmmersmg-it in a bathrontaining animal grease from wool and c nncals or strengthening its. fiber, and! sub ecting the cotton so immersed to the action of an elecbath in which wool ha tric current to cause said cotton to absorb the wool grease and ,thereby become softened, with its yarns of less diameter and of greater tensile strength.

9. The process of treating-cotton, which consists in placing said cotton in a suitable receptacle containing a' solution composed of water, chemical salts, and animal grease, and passing through said solution and the cotton contained'therein a current of electricity.

10. The process of treating cotton,.which consists in placing said cotton ina suitable receptacle containing a solution composed of Water, chemical salts, and animal grease, and passing through said solution and the cotton contained therein a current of electricity, said current of electricity being of sufiicient pressure and volume to create in said solution electrolytic gas or gases. 11. The process of treating cotton, which consists in placing said cotton in a suitable receptacle containing a solution composed of Water, chemical salts, and animal grease, and passing through said solution and the cotton contained therein a current of electricity, thereby causing the vegetable fiber of which the cotton is composed to absorb the animal grease or oil contained in said solution.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 6th day of October, 1905.

GEO. D. BURTON. Witnesses: A

EDNA C. CLEVELAND, WA.LTER E. LOMBARD. 

